Dear Editor,

I am writing to you today not only as an individual but as a representative voice of a community that is deeply traumatized and disillusioned by the tragic events of last evening in Bolans Village.

While we know there are many good officers who serve with honor, the actions of a few “bad eggs” give the entire organization a bad name and undermine public trust.

The fatal shooting of an 18-year-old male on his birthday has reopened old wounds and magnified a deep-seated lack of trust in our law enforcement. This incident, and the manner in which it was handled, brings to the surface a painful history of unresolved cases and a persistent pattern of silence from the authorities.

We trust that by publishing this, you will help us bring this matter to the attention of the relevant authorities who need to be aware and investigate, including the Commissioner of Police, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the Minister of National Security.

The official narrative of a high-speed chase from St. John’s is inconsistent with what we, as residents, witnessed. We must demand answers to these critical questions:

• Why were there no police sirens or flashing lights as the vehicle entered our village?
• If this was a legitimate high-speed chase, why were the Bolans and Johnson’s Point police stations not notified to assist in apprehending the individual, potentially avoiding a fatal confrontation?
• Eyewitness accounts state the young man was shot while driving away after dropping off a passenger. Why was deadly force used so late at night, after 10 pm, when the opportunity for peaceful apprehension was clearly available?
• Why was the young man’s body so callously handled—dragged from his vehicle and placed into the back of a pickup without a police guard—and driven to the hospital without sirens? This behavior suggests he was already dead on the scene, and if so, this action constitutes a severe breach of protocol and human dignity.

Furthermore, we are left with the unaddressed threat to our own safety. The third shot, which passed across a group of us standing on a corner, ended up inside a resident’s home. Stray bullets kill. Was this a tactic to clear the area of witnesses? Why were we disrespected and shunned when we tried to explain the danger we were put in, and even chased from the scene even though we stood a safe distance away? Who will pay for the damages to the house, and who will address the trauma inflicted upon us?

A fundamental question of transparency must be asked: Where are the body cameras? In an age of accountability, why are the officers involved not equipped with this basic tool? Where is the independent witness to corroborate the official account, when the police themselves are actively trying to suppress the testimony of local residents?

This incident is not an anomaly. It is a scar that joins many others on our nation’s history. It forces us to remember the stories of Manny James, shot dead while running away from police; Officer Alincia Pemberton, whose suspicious death remains shrouded in doubt; and Serg I, whose alleged suicide is believed by many to be orchestrated. We also remember the Guyanese man in Orange Valley and the soldier, son of Wayne Martin, who were both allegedly killed by police. In each case, our communities were left with no justice and no answers.

This is not going to be another “9-day talk.” We are committed to highlighting this issue until we are satisfied that our calls to action are met. We also believe that a major contributing factor to these escalations is a societal tendency to favor harsh punishment over empathetic understanding. A tragic example of this dynamic is a situation where a prison officer is currently awaiting trial for the death of an inmate following the use of aggressive force. This outcome could have been different. A well-trained officer, equipped with strong interpersonal communication skills and emotional intelligence (EI), could have recognized the signs of escalating frustration in the inmate and utilized de-escalation techniques.

We demand accountability. We call for the following immediate actions:

• The suspension of all officers involved in this shooting until a thorough and impartial investigation is completed.
• The immediate implementation of regular crime forums as promised by the Acting Commissioner of Police.
• The provision of weekly updates from the police on this investigation and other key public safety matters.
• Mandatory and ongoing training in interpersonal communication and emotional intelligence for all law enforcement officers.

This letter is a plea for justice and an end to the cycle of silence and suspicion that plagues our nation. We are a community in mourning, and we deserve the truth.

Sincerely,

Mourner